Este artículo está sujeto a una licencia CC BY 4.0., Despite the extensive literature on <Local Agro-food Systems (LAFS), which involves research on local food identity and organisational proximity, the environmental sustainability of these systems has rarely been addressed. This paper develops a new concept called Local Agroecological Food Systems (LAEFS), which focuses the research not only on local food identity, but also on agroecological principles. We aim to conduct a reflexive review of the literature on the conceptual factors attempting to describe the particular characteristics of LAEFS (distinguishing these from LAFS). We explore five axes of analysis: (a) to establish a compromise at the local level between agro-food sectoral specialisation on the one hand and greater cultivated biodiversity and a more diversified economic structure on the other; (b) to geographically and commercially shorten food channels to the fullest extent; (c) to construct new institutional formulae in the fields of logistics, distribution and public procurement for the scaling up of sustainable food; (d) to develop a participatory, bottom-up, multi-stakeholder and multi-level territorial governance; and (e) to reduce the metabolic profile of food systems by reorganising rural-urban linkages. One of the principal objectives of LAEFS should involve redesigning agricultural and food systems at a scale greater than that of the farm (territory or landscape). This requires both a major public policy push and sustainable territorial governance that incorporate an approach based on territory, food systems and agroecology., This publication is framed within the research grant “Sustainable food networks as chains
of values for agroecological and food transition. Implications for territorial public policies” (PID2020-
112980GB-C21 and PID2020-112980GB-C22; 2021-2025), funded by the Spanish Scientific, Technical
and Innovation Research Plan: MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033; and by the project “FOODTRANSITIONS” (TED2021-129660A-I00), funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by the
European Union funds from “Next Generation EU”/PRTR., Peer reviewed

In pursuing agroecological urbanism – a strategic endeavor to dismantle disempowering structures within urban food systems through cultivating mutual interdependencies – alternative food networks (AFNs) emerge as pivotal catalysts for transformative change. Indeed, there are increasing arguments for AFNs working on diverse issues to pool resources and address food system challenges from multiple perspectives under a common frame. However, a pressing need exists for greater clarity on tensions and challenges in establishing a network of AFNs within a shared framework, such as that fostered by agroecological urbanism. This study explores impediments to organizing AFNs into transformative networks, drawing insights from two diverse urban contexts – Preston, England, and Vitoria-Gasteiz, Basque Country – using a case study methodology comprising online semi-structured interviews and participant observation. Our findings underscore three primary barriers to this process: divergent conceptualizations of food questions, education and awareness-raising as a limited convergence point, and constrained resources. Such barriers generate a practical divorce between social and environmental goals in the experiences analyzed. Central to this division is also the pivotal question of the subject of justice – whether AFNs advocate primarily for urban citizens’ interests or prioritize peri-urban and rural farmers’ concerns. The analysis highlights the need to develop inclusive socio-ecological narratives within the overarching framework of agroecological urbanism as a critical step in fostering collaborative coalitions among AFNs that move beyond individualized change. Building these coalitions would depend on funding availability for long-term strategic collaborative efforts, emphasizing the crucial role of public authorities in such processes., The author(s) declare that financial support was received for
the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This
research has been funded by the European Commission under
the DTA3/COFUND Marie Skłodowska-Curie PhD Fellowship
(Grant Agreement 801604). The publication is also part of the
project “FOODTRANSITIONS, Ecological Transitions to
Sustainable Food Security: Creating Sustainable and Just Cities,”
code TED2021-129660A-I00, funded by the MCIN/
AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and the European Union
“NextGenerationEU”/PRTR., Peer reviewed

There has been increased academic attention on enhancing the effectiveness of knowledge-policy interfaces at the international level for urgent food systems transformation. However, previous literature signals that actions to improve science, policy, and society relations occur at multiple scales and often through informal avenues. This paper examines the potential role of multi-actor urban food governance spaces in developing more inclusive and territorialised knowledge-policy interfaces; a subject rarely investigated in the literature. To do so, the study proposes a three-dimensional analytical framework that acknowledges their place-based and networked nature. This framework is applied in València and Barcelona, focusing on the knowledge practices within multi-actor urban food governance spaces and their interrelations with the politics of evidence-informed policymaking. The results illustrate that such spaces function as a form of informal knowledge-policy interfaces that promote local and multi-scalar collective learning and knowledge co-production. However, whether knowledge from such spaces becomes a key part of policymaking grapples with issues of limited administrative capacities, scarce data, and lack of political prioritisation of food in the municipal agenda. As such, there is a need for increased efforts to link global, national, and local processes to build on existing infrastructures at different scales, such as by developing translocal knowledge-policy interfaces. This study not only contributes to progress in the field of food. It also offers insights to enhance science-policy-society relations more broadly, illustrating the need to acknowledge the effectiveness of knowledge-policy interfaces as a function of the broader actings of contested place-based and governance dynamics., Peer reviewed

Agroecology, agency, and bottom-up governance are deemed essential for sustainable food security, yet alternative food initiatives face difficulties accessing decision-making spaces related to public policy and resources. During the pandemic, grassroots movements emerged in Spanish cities to tackle food insecurity through mutual aid, drawing inspiration from agroecological principles. How these initiatives engage with governmental actors and policies remains unexplored. The article uses semi-structured interviews and participant observations to examine two cases of Agroecology-oriented Food Redistribution Initiatives (AFRIs) in Seville and the Barcelona metropolitan areas. It aims to address three main research questions: 1) What kinds of actors and relations characterise the considered food initiatives? 2) How is sustainable food security understood and performed? 3) How do the initiatives relate with governmental actors and what problems emerge in this interaction? AFRIs emerge as assemblages uniting diverse social actors with a shared focus on food security, understanding it as the right to access sustainable, healthy food, intertwined with other basic needs and related social struggles. Sustainable practices are accompanied by the maintenance of conventional elements in the initiatives, which results in hybrid food networks. Relationships with local government institutions vary between the cases, revealing challenges and ambivalences regarding their role in supporting the provision of fresh and sustainable produce. While the study’s findings indicate that scaling up agroecology does not necessarily result in conventionalization and co-optation, such efforts also come with trade-offs. Despite collaborative endeavors, initiatives like the Barcelona AFRI may find themselves in a marginal role and fall short of fundamentally transforming the prevailing food aid model on a broader scale., Concerning funding, we acknowledge that this work contributes to ICTA-UAB “María de Maeztu” Programme for Units of Excellence of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation [CEX2019–000940–M]. FF also acknowledges the financial support provided by the ‘Plan Estatal de I + D + I’ of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation [PRE2019–087557]. DLG acknowledges the financial support provided by [MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033] and by the European Union “NextGenerationEU”/PRTR funds, along the project [TED2021–129660A–I00]. European Commission Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Peer reviewed

Participatory processes of agroecological transitions at territorial scales are becoming a widespread practice. However, systematic research based on empirical processes remains scarce. In this paper, we systematize the experiences of five cases of co-design for agroecological transitions in Spain, in different territorial contexts and scales, applying the framework of Local Agroecological Dynamization. The systematization has involved professional facilitators of each project and is based on the primary and secondary data they provided. The systematization describes a sequence of milestones to walk through to implement transformative, participatory processes of transitions and suggests some principles for the design of such processes. The paper highlights two elements that define the transformative character of the cases: the activation of social creativity based on the material and relational features of the territory, and the strengthening of local socio-economic actors in the framework of a plural social subject to promote the transition. More empirical, action-oriented research is needed, in different territorial contexts and long-term processes, to deepen the understanding of such issues., This work was supported by the Third Sector Grants from the Spanish Ministry of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, call 2024; and by Grant Number [TED2021-129660A-I00], funded by [MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033] and by the European Union “NextGenerationEU”/PRTR., Peer reviewed

The Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) framework has been widely employed to analyze transitions in agri-food systems. However, its analytical capacity remains limited in addressing critical dimensions such as power asymmetries, territorial dynamics, and diverse forms of agency. To address these gaps, this paper integrates MLP with relational and evolutionary perspectives from social movements theory to examine 23 years of agri-food policy co-creation in València, Spain. We aim to understand (1) how do power relations influence the institutional anchoring of bottom-up policy innovations; (2) what mechanisms can grassroots movements leverage to facilitate such anchoring; and (3) what relational dynamics arise in this context. Our findings highlight how grassroots actors mobilize multiple forms of agency and operate across non-linear temporalities to advance anchoring for policy change, assuming diverse roles as intermediary actors. This relational perspective offers new insights into the strategic practices that underpin long-term sustainability transitions., The paper is part of the project “FOODTRANSITIONS, Ecological Transitions to Sustainable Food Security: Creating Sustainable and Just Cities”, code TED2021-129660A-I00, funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and the European Union “NextGenerationEU”/PRTR. Soledad Cuevas receives funding from the Spanish ministry of Science and innovation as part of the Ramon y Cajal programme: grant code RYC2021-034011-I, Peer reviewed

Delivering sustainable and healthy food for all in urban areas requires inter- and transdisciplinary frameworks that account for the complexity of social-ecological interactions configuring highly diverse urban food systems. However, despite the increasing urbanization of our planet and the degradation of its ecological base, studies of urban food systems have largely overlooked critical urban and social-ecological elements, including political aspects inherent to their potential transformation. To address these gaps, we develop the social-ecological urban food systems (SUFOS) framework based on a critical literature review. The SUFOS framework constitutes an innovative proposal that integrates critical contributions of urban social-ecological systems literature into the understanding and analysis of urban food systems, supporting a perspective shift that centers the ecological, political, and urban dimensions and their complex temporal and spatial relations at the heart of urban food systems analysis. The framework identifies four interconnected subsystems that shape urban food systems and their outcomes: governance dynamics, networked resource flows, urban infrastructure and form, and social-ecological dynamics. We discuss the potential application and limitations of the framework to support comprehensive urban food systems analysis and guide more effective interventions. Urban food systems scholarship is a dynamic field that continues to attract diverse disciplines, perspectives, and methods, and the SUFOS framework constitutes a significant step in fostering a productive dialogue between the urban social-ecological and food systems communities to address both academic and pressing societal challenges., The paper has been made possible thanks to the grant CITIES4FOOD CNS2023-144381 funded by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033) and by “European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR” and the project “FOODTRANSITIONS, Ecological Transitions to Sustainable Food Security: Creating Sustainable and Just Cities”, code TED2021-129660A-I00, funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and the European Union “NextGenerationEU”/PRTR., Peer reviewed

The social justice dimension of agroecological transitions is often overlooked, with related initiatives criticised for excluding socially marginalised groups. Agroecology-oriented Food Redistribution Initiatives (AFRIs) emerged during COVID-19 to address the heightened food insecurity levels, linking agroecology with food justice struggles. Drawing on interviews and fieldwork conducted in two AFRIs and several Conventional Food Security Organisations (CFSOs) of Barcelona and Sevilla, Spain, this research highlights their different implications and performances for distributive and procedural justice as well as environmental sustainability. The study shows that CFSOs blend traditional and innovative food redistribution practices, increasingly recognising both the right to food and the structural causes of food insecurity. AFRIs adopt more critical discourses and practices, challenging inequities in access to healthy food and advocating for structural transformations across all levels of the food system. Furthermore, AFRIs prioritise agroecology and local economies over just reducing food waste, as CFSOs commonly do, and they involve marginalised individuals in decisions and activities to promote community empowerment and procedural justice. Although AFRIs may be temporary and reach fewer people than CFSOs, their prefigurative practices can inspire a transition towards more sustainable and just food aid, while also advancing social justice goals within agroecology., Concerning funding, we acknowledge that this work contributes to ICTA-UAB “María de Maeztu” Programme for Units of Excellence of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation [CEX2019-000940-M]. FF also acknowledges the financial support provided by the “Plan Estatal de I + D + I” of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation [PRE2019-087557]. Sergio Villamayor-Tomas acknowledges support from the Ayuda de Consolidación Investigadora of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation [CNS2022-136063]. DLG acknowledges the financial support provided by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by the European Union “NextGenerationEU”/PRTR funds, along the project TED2021-129660A-I00, Peer reviewed

This article is part of the issue “Urban Food Governance Beyond 2030: Resilience, Justice, and the Politics of Sustainability Transitions” edited by Anna R. Davies (Trinity College Dublin), Dean Phelan (University College Dublin), Yuliya Voytenko Palgan (Lund University), and Ana Moragues‐Faus (Universitat de Barcelona), fully open access at https://doi.org/10.17645/pag.i544, Urban food systems are central to addressing today’s sustainability challenges. However, their assessment remains fragmented and often detached from broader urban dynamics, limiting the development of integrated approaches to urban food governance. This article advances these efforts by developing a comprehensive indicator set for diagnosing and evaluating urban food systems, grounded in a socio‐ecological urban food systems framework that conceptualizes food systems as complex urban systems. The indicator set was developed through a combination of top‐down and bottom‐up methods. First, a systematic review identified potential indicators from existing urban sustainability and food assessment tools. Second, an applicability test in five cities assessed data availability and feasibility. Third, a modified Delphi process with experts validated the proposed indicators. The process yielded a set of 98 indicators, including 68 core and 30 aspirational indicators, which capture both food‐specific and broader urban conditions such as governance, justice, health, and infrastructure. The proposed framework advances existing approaches by offering an indicator‐based tool that integrates food and non‐food dynamics to elevate the importance of food within urban sustainability, two critical areas to inform a post‐2030 sustainability agenda. It complements and strengthens ongoing initiatives with the potential to enable benchmarking, comparability, and embedding of food system considerations within wider urban governance strategies. In doing so, it supports municipalities and actors in recognizing the reciprocal relationship between food and broader urban sustainability agendas, thereby avoiding the creation of a new urban food silo and strengthening pathways toward more resilient, equitable, and sustainable urban food governance., This research was funded by three projects. First, CITIES4FOOOD, funded by the European Union and the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MICIU) / State Research Agency (AEI), through NextGenerationEU– Spain’s 2024 Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR; grant CITIES4FOOD CNS2023‐144381). Second, FOODTRANSITIONS– Ecological Transitions to Sustainable Food Security: Creating Sustainable and Just Cities, code TED2021‐129660A‐I00, funded by MCIN/AEI/ 10.13039/501100011033 and the European Union’s NextGenerationEU/PRTR. And third, CULTIVATE: Co‐Designing Food Sharing Innovation for Resilience, funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No 101083377, which includes UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding., Peer reviewed

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/13549839.2026.2720345., Urban food strategies are considered instrumental for mobilising public, private, and civil society actors in collectively building more just and sustainable urban food systems. However, the governance dynamics that shape their capacity to sustain multi-actor collaboration remain underexplored. Adopting a governance network perspective, this paper examines the structural features, actor configurations, and quality of multi-actor interactions that influence the collaborative performance of urban food strategies. The analysis draws on an exploratory multiple case study of two mid-sized Spanish cities, Córdoba and Valladolid, with pioneering trajectories in participatory urban food policymaking. By combining social network analysis (SNA) with participant observation, the findings highlight that hybrid governance models supporting decentralised network structures, where steering is not solely dependent on public actors, may be better suited to sustain collaboration over time. Nevertheless, the development of such networks depends on the social embeddedness of urban food strategies, for which reciprocal, trust-based relations across actors are crucial. This condition is shaped by the strength of the local social infrastructure prior to their development, and the ability of strategically positioned actors to build trust and prevent fragmentation. As under-resourced domains, such as civil society, are particularly disadvantaged in the latter, measures for capacity- and network-building beyond formal urban food strategy frameworks may help distribute governance functions more evenly. Strengthening the ability for self-organisation in this way can potentially enhance the resilience and adaptability of urban food strategies in the face of changing political priorities around sustainability challenges., Peer reviewed

[EN] There has been increased academic attention on enhancing the effectiveness of knowledge-policy interfaces at the international level for urgent food systems transformation. However, previous literature signals that actions to improve science, policy, and society relations occur at multiple scales and often through informal avenues. This paper examines the potential role of multi-actor urban food governance spaces in developing more inclusive and territorialised knowledge-policy interfaces; a subject rarely investigated in the literature. To do so, the study proposes a three-dimensional analytical framework that acknowledges their place-based and networked nature. This framework is applied in València and Barcelona, focusing on the knowledge practices within multi-actor urban food governance spaces and their interrelations with the politics of evidence-informed policymaking. The results illustrate that such spaces function as a form of informal knowledge-policy interfaces that promote local and multi-scalar collective learning and knowledge co-production. However, whether knowledge from such spaces becomes a key part of policymaking grapples with issues of limited administrative capacities, scarce data, and lack of political prioritisation of food in the municipal agenda. As such, there is a need for increased efforts to link global, national, and local processes to build on existing infrastructures at different scales, such as by developing translocal knowledge-policy interfaces. This study not only contributes to progress in the field of food. It also offers insights to enhance science-policy-society relations more broadly, illustrating the need to acknowledge the effectiveness of knowledge-policy interfaces as a function of the broader actings of contested place-based and governance dynamics., This research is part of the project &quot;FOODTRANSITIONS, Ecological Transitions to Sustainable Food Security: Creating Sustainable and Just
Cities&quot;, code TED2021-129660A-I00, funded by the MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and the European Union &quot;NextGenerationEU&quot;/PRTR